You are here

Home » Summer, A Great Season To Take Your Kids Into The Woods

Summer, A Great Season To Take Your Kids Into The Woods

Share
By NPT Staff - June 3rd, 2016

The TRACK Trail program launched by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation lures youth out into nature / Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation

There are, not far from the pavement, glorious creeks to splash in and ponds and lakes to fish, forests to explore, and grassy meadows to chase butterflies across. These are kid friendly aspects of the natural world that come without batteries, don’t need a Wi-Fi signal, and are guaranteed to bring the kid out in all of us.

Since 2012 the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has been working to coax kids out into the national parks and nature in general. The focal point of this effort has been the Foundation’s Kids in Parks TRACK Trail program. This effort has created an ever-growing network of hiking, biking, paddling and disc golf trails outfitted with free activity guides for children and families.

Each TRACK Trail has a series of self-guided brochures designed to turn an ordinary hike into a fun-filled, discovery- packed adventure. The guides encourage children to truly engage with the outdoors by identifying trees and birds, viewing the forest from the perspective of animals, and searching for natural features, among other fun activities.

You and your kids can explore these trails at several locations along the Blue Ridge Parkway, including:

• Peaks of Otter Recreation Area (milepost 86)

• Blue Ridge Music Center (milepost 213, near Galax, Virginia)

• Julian Price Memorial Park Picnic Area (milepost 297) + a paddling “trail” at Price Lake • The Orchard at Altapass (milepost 328.3)

• Mount Mitchell (milepost 355)

• The Visitor Center in Asheville, North Carolina (milepost 384)

• North Carolina Arboretum (just off the Parkway at milepost 393) • Cherokee Oconaluftee River Trail (at terminus of the Parkway)

Other TRACK Trails can be found in California, Maryland, North and South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. In all, there are 27 TRACK Trails in the National Park System. Each trail features a brochure of activities to engage kids as they explore the woods. Kids also can register to earn prizes. For information, visit www.kidsinparks.com.

Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.